


December 1st

by CiderWriter (orphan_account)



Series: Christmas [1]
Category: X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Advent, Christmas, Erik is a Sweetheart, M/M, Poor Charles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-01
Updated: 2016-12-01
Packaged: 2018-09-03 14:24:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8717368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/CiderWriter
Summary: DAY 1 of Christmas CountdownCharles hates the rain. He has done ever since he was a child. Erik reminds him that being miserable over things he can't change can be a distraction to the nicer things in life.





	

It was raining.

The countryside stretched on for miles and in the distance, even as far out as he could see, dark clouds still hung over the world, looming and unwelcome. Charles knew better than anyone that rain made people miserable. It soaked into their minds like it did their clothes, making them lethargic and miserable. Rain made people isolated and lonely; kept them cooped up inside, away from human interaction. It left them to dwell on their own sorry lives.

To Charles, it was louder than any thunderstorm. It was a constant stream of negativity and self-loathing. For all his childhood, he’d succumbed to the overwhelming dislike of rain. He hadn’t been able to control his powers. It had been bitter and unwelcome and constant. He’d walked for miles in the rain to get away from civilisation, far into the distance, far from their persistent minds. He’d almost caught his death a hundred times over before he’d learned to control himself.

Erik hated rain too, Charles knew. He’d learned that years ago. Rain stopped Erik being productive; slowed his runs down, soaked his clothes and ruined his plans. It was a consequence of living so rough for so long. Erik had always had a plan, a goal. He’d never had the opportunity to avoid rain; he’d always had to battle on through. And Charles knew that his own attitude to rain was equally as valid as Erik’s, but that didn’t stop him from feeling guilty.

He was in control now. He could ignore the minds of others in the drop of a pin, and Erik gave him more than enough opportunities for distraction. He had no reason to hold any sort of grudge against rain now. But still, it lashed against the window and he could still feel phantom irritation creeping in. He gave up the pretence of reading his book and just stared out the window, dragging his knees to his chest. Erik was actually doing work in his office, and had been since before the rain had started. He probably hadn’t even noticed, but Charles wasn’t about to go looking to find out for certain. Erik was too finely tuned to him; he’d notice the intrusion and get distracted. Instead, Charles put the radio on and closed his eyes. Perhaps when he opened them again, the rain would have stopped.

He had nothing bad to say about rainbows, after all.

He had no idea how much time had passed when he heard Erik enter the room, and he’d barely opened his eyes before arms were slipping around his waist and the sofa dipped beside him.

“It’s raining.” He murmured petulantly, taking a deep breath in. Erik smelled like summer. Like crisp white wine and sandalwood.

“I’d noticed.” He could hear the smirk in Erik’s words. “So I have something to cheer you up.”

“You do?” Charles sat up a little straighter, twisting so he could see his boyfriend, only half-dressed and yet looking infinitely more put together than Charles did. Erik always looked stunning, infuriatingly so.

“Of course I do. It’s December 1st, after all. Advent." 

“It is?” Charles stared, wide-eyed. “I hadn’t noticed.” Which was embarrassing enough, but it also meant he’d missed at least two appointments and quite possible a research deadline. He normally drew dates from other people’s minds, but he’d just had a week off work with Erik and organisation had never been his strong-point.

“I realised when you didn’t wake up singing carols this morning.” Erik pointed out, dryly, but his eyes still twinkled mischievously. Charles didn’t have to read his mind to recognise that Erik had missed this annoying habit of his, which was so endearingly sweet it was almost heart-breaking. It was that moment, when Charles could have bet that he couldn’t be more in love, that Erik procured a neatly wrapped present from behind the sofa.

“Darling, you don’t even celebrate-"

“I know. But it’s raining, and it’s Christmas, and you _like_ Christmas, Charles.” He held the gift out stubbornly, until Charles plucked it from his loose grip.

“Well, thank you.” He said firmly, unwrapping the bow and tugging the lid from the box gently. His voice caught in his throat and his heart raced. “Erik-"

It was an ornament. Not china or glass, not even massively detailed. It was metal, sleek and elegant. It consisted of three very obvious figures. Himself, in the middle. His right hand was intertwined with Erik’s, a taller figure. To his left, he had wrapped an arm around Raven; smaller and more beautiful, even in metal. Around the figures, the metal was rippled, as though it was raining around them. Or perhaps they were raindrops themselves; momentary and poignant and infinitely good for the world. 

He smiled at Erik, a single look conveying more than words could. Erik was right. He didn’t like rain much. But he loved Erik, and he loved his sister. It was the first day of Christmas. Of course he wasn’t going to spend the rest of the day moping over rain and his sorry childhood. If Erik wasn’t, he certainly didn’t need to.

“Thank you, Erik.” He finally managed to get out, so deeply touched he wasn't sure whether to cling to the man and cry, or jump his bones. 

“Merry Christmas, Liebling.” Erik replied, seeming to understand, regardless. "But before you get any bright ideas, I still don't want a tree."

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Christmas! (Or not, if you don't celebrate.)
> 
> I'm planning to do a Christmas countdown. This may or may not be daily, but I'll try my best, and promise that the rest will be infinitely better than this one. 
> 
> Requests are welcome.


End file.
